Can you remember much about the good ole days? Maybe the first question should be: Do you think they really were "the good ole days"? I sure do remember those days and I believe there were many good things about them. Let me tell you why I feel the way I do about those days and see if you agree with me. Here are some valuable reasons to consider:
* Crime did not seem to be as rampant and violent.
Now maybe this was not always true where you grew up. But If you lived in small town America it probably was true. It did not dominate the daily news then and it was not as brutal either. There usually were not a large number of crimes in those days.
* You could go out at night without fear of being accosted.
I do not remember many incidents when especially women, had to be so fearful when going out in public then. When I think of the neighborhood where I went in those days to pick up my date, I shudder today when I think of it. Because that area now is so crime infested. Not having an automobile in those days, I had to walk several blocks to her house when I got off the bus. When I left her house after the date there was no fear to stand on the corner late at night to wait for a bus.
* Parents could discipline their children without fear of reprisal
Discipline in most cases then meant a simple word called " NO". And in most cases it was never challenged. If it was, the next action was usually a "swat on the fanny" with a hand, yardstick, or a fly swatter. I do not hear of many parents using this method today, do you?
Sometimes just being told to "sit in the corner" or having a privilege taken away from you was enough to remedy the problem. Now, do not misunderstand me, I sure do not condone any kind of violence to discipline a child. But swatting a kid on the backside with a fly swatter or a yardstick, is that a violent act? Some may think so today. I will not say there were some parents guilty of violent discipline back then but generally that was not the case.
* Mothers were more likely to stay home raising children than working
Most mothers then felt the responsibility to stay home, at least when children were at an early age. Generally there was not as much of a need for them to earn a second income for the family as it is now. If there was a reason they usually found a way to do that while still staying at home. (Taking in washing was common then) My mom worked in the family florist business in later years. This was generally during some of the major holidays. But by then my sister and I were old enough to be there, too.
* Divorce was not as widespread
The odds of staying married for a long time then were much greater than it is now. Couples seemed to work out their problems much better in those days. Today it is not as shameful to get a divorce. I do not remember hearing the phrase "single Mom" back then. If you did it was most likely because the husband was deceased then the mother being divorced.
* Most people seemed to be more polite and courteous
One thing that was drilled in my head back then was to say "thank you" whenever someone either gave you something or paid you a compliment. And I had better not forget to say it, either. Men were expected to open doors for the "opposite sex". Even to pull out the chair at the table and push it back after she was seated was also the normal thing to do. I hate to say it but I do not see much of that practice happening as much today as back then, do you ladies?
These are just a few things that I remember in those early years that made the "good ole days good" Now I admit those times were tough, and we did not have all the modern conveniences that we have today. No TV in those early days, no computers, videos, cell phones, dial up phones (you called the operator and she rang the number for you) And the phone number was usually a short one. The phone number at our florist shop is one that I will never forget as long as I live, it was "5" Yes, a simple number "5" Can you believe that?
My children today cannot believe that the "big thing" for our family to do then was to sit in the living room at night and listen to the radio. Yes, the R-A-D-I-O. (you seniors remember that, don't you) And we listened to our favorite programs. "Fibber McGee & Mollie" "The Lone Ranger" "The Shadow Knows" "The Great Gildersleeve", "Amos & Andy", "Abbott & Costello", and many others. Those are the ones I remember most.
The radio we had then was a beautiful floor model. It stood about 31/2 feet tall and about 20 inches wide with large speakers in front. When we got our first TV it was mind-boggling. We could not believe it. There were pictures that talked, WOW!
Now listen! I am not sure I want to return to those days even though there were many pleasurable moments to remember. Life did seem to be simpler and I wish we could restore some of those same conditions and moments today that we experienced then. Don't you?
Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved Sonny Julius
Sonny Julius is a retired sales supervisor. He encourages anyone who is not totally satisfied with their life to "take charge" and develop the ideal lifestyle they desire most. He did exactly that at the age of 44 years when he became dissatisfied with his life. He developed and used his 8-step formula to make a major career change. It is available for free to anyone wanting to improve their life.
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